Woman Killed in Skydiving Accident

As reported by CBS News, a woman was killed Thursday when her parachute malfunctioned. The woman was with a group attempting to break a world skydiving record by having a 222-person formation.

Details of the Skydiving Accident

Police have released the identity of the woman killed in the accident as Diana Paris, 46 of Berlin, Germany. Paris was with a group of 222 skydivers from 28 different countries that gathered at Skydive Arizona to attempt a record-breaking jump.

Early reports blame the accident on a parachute malfunction that caused it to release too low to the ground and kept a reserve parachute from fully opening. The victim’s body was found about a mile from the drop zone.

The maneuver the large group was attempting involved jumping from approximately 18,000 feet out of 10 planes. The high elevation made it necessary for jumpers to use oxygen masks in the plane, according to ABC News. The group was unable to break the record during the jump that killed Paris.

Skydive Arizona, located between Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, has been the site of other recent skydiving fatalities. In November, two other skydivers were killed after their parachutes collapsed during a jump.

Skydiving Accident Statistics

The United States Parachute Association (USPA) notes that skydiving fatalities are rare when compared to the number of jumps performed annually. In 2012, there were 19 fatalities in the U.S. out of an estimated 3.1 million jumps. Injuries are slightly more common with roughly 3 injuries occurring in every 10,000 skydives.

The USPA also notes “most skydiving accidents result from human error.”